


The Chaperone

by SoThere



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-22
Updated: 2013-12-22
Packaged: 2018-01-05 09:09:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1092141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoThere/pseuds/SoThere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katniss is forced to chaperone Prim's Senior Prom where she meets her secret high school crush, now student teacher Peeta Mellark. They get a chance to have the prom night they both wished they'd shared, along with some 'after prom' fun.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Chaperone

**Author's Note:**

  * For [IzzySamson](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IzzySamson/gifts).



> I hope you enjoy this story and have a wonderful holiday!!
> 
> Huge thanks to wickedly_clever and sponsormusings for giving this a beta read and helping me clean it up! :)

“ _Under the Sea?_ Come on. What kind of a theme is that, anyway? Is the Little Mermaid going to be there, too?”

Prim rolled her eyes before fixing her glare on her older sister in the mirror. “It’s a great theme. One that my friends and I all worked really hard on, Katniss.” She smoothed the skirt of her seafoam green dress before turning and putting her hands on her hips. “Now do you really want me to bring up your class’s _Enchanted Forest_ theme? Or do you want to help me get ready?”

Katniss studied the petite blonde standing in front of her. Her hair was piled on her head in curlers and her face was only half made up, but she was still beautiful. Even though she was trying her hardest to look tough, the crinkle at the corners of her eyes betrayed her. Prim was bursting with excitement, and no amount of grumbling was going to ruin that.

The power of her sister’s cheerfulness worked its usual magic. A lopsided smile crept onto Katniss’s face and she dropped her grumpy attitude. “Well someone’s got to help you get ready or Rory’s bound to split his tuxedo pants laughing at that hair style. It’s more up-DON’T than up-DO…”

Her words were cut off as Prim threw her arms around Katniss and squeezed her in a tight hug. “Thank you, Katniss! I know dances aren’t your thing, but I really appreciate your help tonight. And you’ll have a good time, I swear.”

Katniss carefully put her arms around the poofy tulle of the dress and hugged her sister back. It was just her luck to get roped into chaperoning a high school prom when she didn’t even attend her own four years earlier. A few weeks prior, Prim had come home from her weekly prom planning committee crying - Principal Snow was threatening to cancel the event due to a lack of parental involvement. They were short on chaperones, and without the proper adult supervision he was going to pull the plug on the whole thing.

One look into those weepy blue eyes, and Katniss heard herself saying, “I volunteer.” She was such a sucker when it came to her baby sister.

The sounds of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” rang out from somewhere in the room.  Prim stepped back and clapped her hands together in glee. ”That’s Rue! They must be on their way! Aghhh!!”

Watching her sister rifle through piles of clothes on her bed in search of her phone, Katniss grit her teeth, grateful that this would all be over in a few hours.

***

 

She had to admit, they had done a good job with the decorations. Granted, her expectations were pretty low, but reality exceeded the paper streamers and cardboard fish cutouts she had envisioned when Prim told her the chosen theme.

The walls of the auditorium were covered with bolts of soft fabric in every shade of blue imaginable. The fabric billowed up towards the ceiling where it was gathered and tucked every few feet, reminiscent of waves in the ocean. Dangling from the gathers were strings of lights in varying lengths and strands of glass balls that gave the appearance of bubbles floating overhead. Combined with spotlights shining up from hidden spots around the floor, the lights gave the room a warm ethereal glow.

Leaning on a wall near the main entrance was a large “sunken” ship, probably made from plywood, where couples gathered to have their photos taken between large pieces of coral reef. The surface of the ship was covered in more twinkling lights and fishing netting. Katniss caught Prim’s profile beside the ship, speaking animatedly to Rue as they waited in line for their photos to be taken. The prop seemed to be a big hit as dozens of students trailed behind them waiting their turns.

As her eye scanned down the bow of the ship, she gasped when she came upon the room’s most beautiful feature yet: an entire wall had been painted with an “under the sea” mural. It was covered from floor to ceiling with hundreds of tropical fish darting around brightly colored coral reef. Dolphins and whales swam up toward the surface, glowing with light from above, where they met up with vibrant jellyfish and giant sea turtles. Everywhere she looked she saw something new.

She didn’t realize she was still staring at it until a deep voice behind her shook her from her thoughts. “Excuse me. Didn’t you used to be Katniss Everdeen?”

She turned to find a pair of familiar blue eyes looking back at her from behind thin black plastic frames. His flaxen hair was longer than she remembered, but she’d recognize that crooked smile and giant dimple anywhere.

_Oh, no. Not him._

 “Peeta Mellark,” she murmured.

His smile grew wider. “You remember me?”

 _Remember_ him? How could she ever _forget_ him? She’d only known him since they were five years old. Peeta had moved to her school district in the middle of Kindergarten, making him an immediate object of fascination. He even brought in special holiday cookies to share with the class, endearing him in the hearts of all of his classmates.

Katniss was no exception. His warm smile and friendly demeanor drew her in like a magnet. She was fascinated by his curls, long and wild, and how they stuck out in crazy angles under his winter cap. On Valentine’s Day, she made sure to pick the very best card for him and even made her mom put extra heart stickers on his envelope. He was the only student to bring in homemade valentines, and she kept hers for years, pinned on the wall in her bedroom. She loved to stare at the remarkably detailed drawing of cupid holding his bow and arrow and the carefully scrawled “Love, Peeta” beneath it.

The fascination seemed mutual. Every morning she felt him staring at her while they recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang “My Country Tis of Thee”. Katniss had a reputation for belting the song out louder than any other student. Singing was a huge source of pleasure for her then, in the days when her world was still full of music and laughter.

The laughter didn’t last, though. Her father died unexpectedly when they were in the fifth grade, sucking the life out of her home. Her mother battled depression for years afterward, leaving Katniss to grow up much too quickly. She had to worry about her little sister, about practical things like making sure she had dinner and clean clothes for school. There was no room for extras like music and singing anymore.

The last time she had really spoken to Peeta was the week after her father’s funeral. He came to her house to deliver a loaf of banana nut bread and give his condolences. “It’s the first time my dad let me bake something on my own,” he apologized when she noticed the bottom was slightly burnt. “I don’t know if it will be very good.”

Overwhelmed by the thought of him standing on her doorstep, and still swimming in grief, she simply said “Okay,” and closed the door in his face.

He never knew how much that bread meant to Katniss. Heartbroken, their mother hadn’t left her bed to shop or cook since the funeral. His gift allowed Katniss to provide Prim with a sweet, hearty breakfast for the first time in a week.

When she finally returned to school the next week, she saw him talking to his friends across the playground. He turned in her direction, but she avoided his eyes, ashamed that she had never thanked him properly. She could never repay such a gift.

As the years went on, Peeta was always there in the distance. While they never interacted directly, she found herself admiring him from afar. She grew to depend on his presence in a strange way, soaking in his energy like sunshine. If he was absent, dealing with another unexplained injury, she felt a physical ache, the disappointment crawling through her bones. She suspected his cruel mother was involved and hated that she couldn’t do anything to help him. When he inevitably returned, smile as broad as ever, she felt a tension leave her shoulders and she could finally breathe again.

They walked parallel paths that never seemed to cross.  He was on the wrestling team; she did track and field. She had a part in the school play; he painted the scenery. It was a small town, and there were less than a hundred students in their graduating class. Still, they ran in different crowds. He was friendly and popular; she had become a quiet loner who preferred a book to the company of her peers. He remained like a satellite, circling around her, but never coming any closer.

How she had wished he’d come closer. But it wasn’t meant to be.

“Of course I remember you, Peeta,” she replied, shaking herself out of the memories. “But what do you mean, ‘ _used to be_ Katniss Everdeen’? Who else would I be?”

He chuckled and adjusted the frames on his nose. “Sorry, that was my awkward way of … asking if…. I saw Clove Matthews recently. She and Cato got married. I just wasn’t sure…”

Every town had a girl like Clove. She had spent most of her high school days primping and preening and trying to attract male attention by any means necessary. She nearly flunked out of school, but it didn’t matter. She wasn’t looking for college or a job afterwards; she had already planned to make a career out of landing a husband to take care of her instead. Sounded like she’d been a success.

 “ _Married_?! No, no way. Not me. I don’t even have a boyfriend.” She flushed at the accidental admission and scrambled for a way to change the subject -anything to deflect attention from her non-existent dating life. “So, uh, what are you doing here?”

“Oh, chaperoning. I’m a student teacher here in the art department; they needed staff participation and somehow my name got drawn. Consequence of being the new guy, I guess. What about you?”

“Same here. Well, I mean I volunteered to help. For Prim.” Peeta followed her eyes toward the sunken ship and smiled when Prim waved at them gleefully.

“Of course. I sponsored the planning committee, and she was really worried for a while.” His eyes came back to hers and pinned her in place. Clearing his throat, he put his hands in his back pockets and said, “So this could be a stroke of luck, both of us being here tonight. What do you think? Do you want to be partners?”

“Partners?” Her voice probably betrayed her panic. She wasn’t expecting to have to pair up with anyone, especially her lifelong crush. She had hoped she could just fade into a corner and hide out until the night was over.

She thought Peeta’s face looked crestfallen for just a moment, but his expression was blank as he shrugged his shoulders at her. “It’s up to you. If you don’t partner with me, Mr. Abernathy will just partner you up with someone else. They’re trying to pair everyone up at different stations; divide and conquer or something.”

At the mention of Mr. Abernathy, her old chemistry teacher, she rethought her plans. Looking around at the other chaperones, she realized she could do a lot worse than pairing up with Peeta. Most of the other adults were parents of students or teachers rapidly approaching retirement. She certainly didn’t want to spend the evening trying to make small talk with any of them. Besides, she knew him. Sort of.

“No, I… that’s fine. That’s good. Let’s be partners.” She nodded for emphasis. She could do this.

Peeta beamed back at her. “Great! Partners.”

Yeah. _Great_.

***

“Time to switch.”

Katniss looked back at a clock with surprise. Time to switch already? Old Mr. Abernathy had been rotating the chaperones through different tasks throughout the prom. They’d already handled the coat room, handing out tickets to late-arriving students, and done patrols of the bathrooms to make sure no one was sneaking inappropriate refreshments.

This last hour had gone even faster than the ones before. She and Peeta had been charged with serving punch from a giant fish bowl laden with colorful floating fish. As they served the students, they had talked nonstop about everything from their favorite colors to their summer plans.

She put down the ladle and waited expectantly for Mr. Abernathy’s next assignment. “You’re on dance duty.”

Peeta looked as confused as she felt. ”Dance duty?”

The older man rolled his eyes in frustration. “I always end up with the newbies. _Dance duty_. You know, you monitor the kids while they’re dancing. Make sure their hands stay north of the equator and everything stays PG-13.” He looked them both up and down and smirked. “I’m sure you remember how handsy these high school kids can get. Right, boy?”

Katniss could feel her cheeks redden. “Well – what does that mean? What are we supposed to do if someone … breaks the rules?”

“Don’t get your panties in a twist, sweetheart,” he chuckled, reaching into his jacket and pulling a flask out of his inner pocket. “Just tap ‘em on the shoulder or something. They’ll get the hint.” He filled a cup with punch and added a generous helping from the flask. “Besides, ’dance duty’ is code for ‘off duty.’ The prom’s winding down at this point, anyway. Just hang out, relax, and keep an eye out for trouble.” He took a swig for good measure and returned the bottle to his jacket before ambling away.

As the next pair arrived to serve punch, Peeta offered her his arm. “Shall we? I was thinking we could head over there.” He crooked his head toward some empty chairs along the mural-covered wall. “It’s far enough from the DJ booth; we can still keep an eye on things, but we’ll probably have a better chance at hearing each other.”

She swallowed and nodded slightly, reaching in and hesitantly taking his arm. She could feel the solid muscle beneath her fingers, and warmth radiated through the fabric of his jacket. They crossed the dance floor, dodging groups of students, their bones vibrating as they passed the giant speakers. She was grateful now for his seating recommendation.

“You look beautiful tonight.” He was practically shouting, yet she was sure she had misheard him. She furrowed her brow and shook her head, pointing at her ears.

When they reached their destination, he took her hand and led her to a seat. His fingers were large and slightly calloused. “Sorry,” he chuckled. “I said you look beautiful tonight.”

So she _had_ heard him correctly. Her lips quirked up a little as she looked down at the dress her friend from college had made. Cinna was a design major and part of his final senior project was to create several styles of evening gowns. Katniss had served as his model, and when he heard she was attending Prim’s prom, he absolutely insisted she wear one of his creations.

She smoothed the material, a deep red that faded gradually into orange and then yellow at the flared  bottom. Her eyes twinkled as she looked up at him. “You’re just saying that because it’s your favorite color,” she joked, teasing him with her newfound knowledge.

He shook his head slightly as he gazed back at her without a hint of humor on his face. “No. That’s just a bonus.” A shy smile worked its way to his face. “Then again, I’ve always thought you were beautiful.”

His look was so serious it unnerved her, and she had to turn away while mumbling a barely coherent “Thank you.” She didn’t deal well with complements, especially ones delivered that earnestly.

Desperate to lighten the mood, her eyes traced along the mural on the wall. “Now _this_ is beautiful. I can’t believe how life-like it is.”

Grinning, he took a seat beside her. “I’m so glad you like it. I wanted to make it look as realistic as possible. The animals weren’t too bad, but the sunlight drifting in at the top took some time to get right.”

She spun to face to him, barely masking her surprise. “ _You_ painted this, Peeta? It’s incredible.”

He shook his head a bit and waved a hand, dismissing her praise. “Well, not me alone. My students and I did it as part of their final project. I designed the general layout and they filled it in. I really just had to touch up some of the details.” Stunned with the scope of such a task, she merely nodded and looked back to the mural with fresh eyes. “I guess I just wanted to leave my mark; bring some beauty to the school not only for tonight, but for years to come.”

As they sat in a comfortable silence, the DJ changed to a song more suitable for slow dancing. The students still left on the dance floor paired up and swayed to the romantic tune.

_By the sacred grove, where the waters flow_   
_We will come and go, in the forest_   
  
_In the summer rain, we will meet again_   
_We will learn the code of the ancient ones_   
_In the forest_

_By the waterfall, I will hold you in my arms_   
_We will meet again by the leafy glade_   
_In the shade of the forest_

Katniss smiled as she listened to the lyrics. “This is a pretty song.” She looked up to find Peeta staring at her, his lips curling ever so slightly at the corners. “It reminds me of our prom theme.”

“Yeah. It does.”

“I feel bad now. “ She laughed sheepishly. “I wasn’t very supportive when Prim told me the theme they picked this year. But I guess ours wasn’t much better.”

Peeta shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t think we did such a bad job coming up with that one.”

“’ _We_?’ Oh. You weren’t…” She turned sideways on the chair to face him, placing her hands on her thighs and shaking her head in mock disapproval. “Tell me you weren’t on the prom committee, Peeta!”

He held his hands up and smirked. “Guilty as charged.”

“Wow. You serve punch with someone and you think you know them.”

Peeta laughed as he adjusted his glasses higher on his nose. “In my defense, I only joined because Delly needed more bodies.”

 _Delly Cartwright._ At the sound of her name, Katniss grimaced. She was everything Katniss wasn’t. Blonde. Bubbly. Huge chest. She and Peeta were attached at the hip all through high school. Rather than let him know how annoyed she was, she stared off to the mural again with what she hoped was a bored look. “Delly. Yeah. She, ah, was your prom date, too, wasn’t she? You guys see a lot of each other these days?”

Peeta chuckled. “Hardly. She started dating Thom about five minutes after graduation. Ever since then, she doesn’t have time for any of her old friends.”

She tried to mask her relief as she turned to face him once again. “Oh. So you guys aren’t dating? Everyone thought…”

He shook his head.  “ _Dating_? Me and Delly? No way. She’s a great girl, but she’s like the sister I never had. Besides, I’m not exactly her type. She’s more interested in the ‘tall, dark and brooding’ ones.” Suddenly subdued, he looked down at the floor and kicked at a beach ball that had been abandoned by the students on the dance floor. “In fact, she used to have a crush on your old boyfriend.”

Katniss cocked her head, trying to figure out what he meant. She had no boyfriends in high school. Prim and her grades were her only priorities back then; there was no time to think about silly things like dating. And Delly couldn’t have had a crush on Darius, her ex from college. He was an exchange student from Scotland and didn’t have many friends off campus. Plus, he was neither ‘tall’ nor ‘dark’; he was as ginger as they come.

“What are you talking about, Peeta?”

He met her eyes, and his face crumpled a bit, contrite. “Sorry! I know you said you didn’t have a boyfriend, and breakups can be rough, and… I didn’t mean to bring up a painful topic –“

“Whoa – stop.” She put her hand on his knee to stop his unnecessary apology. “There is no painful topic to bring up. I broke up with Darius over a year ago, and it was completely mutual.”

Peeta quirked his head, his eyes crinkling in confusion. “Darius? No, I was talking about Gale.”

“HA!” The laugh exploded from Katniss, and pulled her hand back to cover her mouth in amusement. “Gale? Gale was _not_ my boyfriend.”

“But… you… he,” Peeta sputtered before shaking his head to clear his thoughts. “You spent _prom night_ with him.”

Katniss scoffed. “Yeah. _At the_ _movies_! We used our student discounts to see an action flick. And then we got ice cream cones on the way home. That’s all.”

Peeta ruffled a hand through his curls. “I don’t understand – Madge told me…” His eyes were wide. “You mean you two _weren’t_ dating?”

“Um, NO. Never. We were just friends. I mean, yeah, we talked about it a couple of times, but we both knew we wouldn’t work out that way. We’re just too much alike.”

He stared at the floor and muttered to himself. “I can’t believe you weren’t even dating. I knew I shouldn’t have listened to her.”

She squinted her eyes. “Peeta… What _did_ Madge tell you?”

He looked up at her and sighed. “Madge…“ He shook his head and chuckled ruefully. “Madge - she asked Gale to the prom, but he turned her down. She told me it was because the two of you were an item.”

“But - why would she say that? She knew we weren’t dating.” Madge was one of the few girls she had been friendly with in high school. Sure, she had never shared private things with her, like her crush on Peeta, but they ate lunch together sometimes and talked about simpler subjects. She was always very clear about her relationship with Gale; in fact, Madge had asked her once if they were together and she had told her plainly that they weren’t.

“Well, _Gale_ told her that when she asked him. He said he wasn’t going to the prom because you guys were dating and you hated dances.”

“ _What?_ ” She scowled and her stomach clenched in anger. Why would Gale lie about them dating? And yeah, she didn’t like formal dances, but that wasn’t the reason the two of them hadn’t gone to prom. They didn’t go because –oh. Her mouth dropped open in understanding. _Damn you, Gale._

“Katniss?” At the sound of his voice, she pulled herself from her thoughts and forced herself to meet his eyes. Peeta’s brow was furrowed as he studied her. “What is it?”

She picked at her fingernail nervously. “I think I know why Gale lied. I mean, I know why he might have. If he’s anything like me. Which is he is. Exactly like me.” She knew she was rambling, but Peeta was still watching her, waiting patiently for her to finish.

“We _weren’t_ dating. That’s the truth. But we didn’t go to prom because, well… “ She looked at the floor, too embarrassed to meet his eyes as she answered in a low voice. ”We couldn’t afford the tickets. And I think Gale was just too proud to tell Madge. He really liked her.”

“Ah.” She looked up, relieved to see none of the pity in Peeta’s face that she was dreading. “And I don’t suppose Madge could have bought the tickets? Since she was the one who was doing the inviting?”

She shook her head firmly, knowing exactly what Gale would have been thinking. “No. Gale and I, where we come from… we don’t take gifts like that. If we can’t pay something back, we don’t like to take it.”

Peeta nodded. “I see.” He hesitated a moment, then quietly asked, “You mean, like the bread? Sometimes I thought that maybe if I’d left it anonymously, things might have been different. But I was selfish; I needed to see you, and make sure you were okay.”

“No, Peeta – that bread…” She couldn’t believe he’d thought that way. “That bread meant everything to me.”

They stared at each other for a few breathless moments, until the heavy bass of a dance song came blaring through the speakers, breaking the spell. Peeta stood up, giving her a small smile. “Want to get out of here? I want to show you something.” He stretched his hand out to her to help her up. She took it, reveling in its warmth again.

He led her to a door she hadn’t noticed a few feet away from their seats. Taking a key ring from his pocket, he unlocked the door and led her inside, closing the door behind them. The music was mercifully muffled through the door. It was hard to see with only the dim emergency exit sign lighting the small room.

Light flooded the room as Peeta flipped on the overhead fluorescent bulb. They were in a storage room of some sort, she gathered, as she inspected the random objects surrounding her. Boxes sat on shelves lining one wall, but other objects were leaned against the walls, piled on top of one another, and tucked into corners. She looked around, confused. “You wanted to show me… a closet?”

Peeta laughed. “No, not the room, something in it. Over here.” He led her to the back of the room, where she saw a giant maple tree standing in the corner. It clearly wasn’t a real tree, considering where they were, but if she didn’t know better, she would have assumed it was. The trunk was over a foot wide, and variegated colors blended so cleanly that the brushstrokes were all but invisible. Above them, branches stretched out in every direction up to 10 feet away, creating a canopy of green over their heads. She reached out to touch it; the bark felt rugged under her fingers, and she was sure she smelled the faint scent of soil, the earth – the woods.

She turned to find him standing behind her, studying her face while she examined the tree.  “What is this?”

He reached out to touch the trunk, his hand only inches from her own. “This was one of the decorations from our prom.” He looked up at its branches, gently stroking a leaf a few inches above his head. “We worked hard on it, and afterwards, well, we couldn’t just throw it away. They brought it back here to save it. Maybe they can use it in a play someday.”

He bit his lip gently and watched her for a moment before seeming to remember something. “Wait a minute- stay right here and don’t move.” He walked away and was engulfed by the clutter throughout the rest of the room. Suddenly, the room was plunged into darkness. She kept her hand on the trunk to ground herself while she waited for him to return.

“Peeta?” She found herself getting a little nervous when just as suddenly, the light returned. But this time, it was in the form of thousands of twinkle lights strung throughout the branches, causing the tree to glow in a way that made it feel, well, _enchanted_. “Oh.”

She felt a soft touch on her back and looked over her shoulder to see Peeta standing even closer than before. “I have a confession to make. This… “ He tilted his head back to peer through the branches before meeting her eyes again. “The prom, the _Enchanted Forest_ theme… It was all for you.”

“I don’t understand.”

He shrugged. “They needed a theme. And I know how much you love the woods. I just thought it would be something you’d like. I thought that maybe … it would convince you to go. With me.”

She turned to face him, her eyes wide. Was this real? “But… but you never asked me?”

“I was going to,” he said, letting out a small laugh. “I was gonna get over my nervousness and just DO it. I had the whole thing planned out. But then - Madge told me you were dating Gale. And I heard you guys talking about having plans for that night. And I just… I thought I lost my chance.” She held her breath as he reached out to tuck a stray hair behind her ear.

“I just… I don’t…” This was all too much. She wanted to look away, but those blue eyes were locked on hers, the contours of his face suddenly clearer close up. “Why didn’t you say anything? All those years – you never let on.”

“After the bread, I thought I’d insulted you or hurt you somehow. You wouldn’t even look at me anymore. I was sure you hated me.”

“No,” she whispered, pressing back against the rough bark of the tree. “It was the exact opposite. I didn’t think I deserved you.”

He stepped closer again, gently grasping her waist with his large hands. “Katniss, I don’t think you realize how special you are. You’re beautiful.” A blush spread across her cheeks as he smiled at her. “And smart. And funny. And anyone who spent even five minutes with you could see how loving you are; I know you’d do anything for your sister. Even spend a night at a formal dance – which you _hate_ – with a fool like me.”

 “You’re not a fool.” She bit her lip, holding back a smile.

He stepped back, crossing his arms and giving her what she was sure was _the teacher stare_ over the tops of his glasses. The loss of his touch hurt more than she’d expected. “Oh, I’m not, huh? Then what am I?”

She thought back to the years she’d known him and all she’d learned about him tonight. The bread he’d burnt trying to comfort her. The beautiful mural he’d made for the school, and his incredible attempt at recreating the forest for her.

“You’re a baker – though not a very good one.” He chuckled and nodded. “You’re a painter. You’ve captured the beauty of nature in ways I’d never dreamt possible. You’re a teacher. You’re a good friend. You’re kind. And thoughtful.”

An errant curl caught her eye, and she stepped forward, reaching up to brush it from his forehead. She looked at the floor, embarrassed, before noting, “And your shoelace is untied.”

“Well, I’d better take care of that!” Peeta laughed. He knelt down before her and double knotted both dress shoes.

From his position on the floor he reached up for her hand. “Well, now’s as good a time as any to ask you what I’ve been waiting all these years to ask… Katniss Everdeen?”

She quirked an eyebrow at this ridiculous play at romanticism. Down on one knee? Was he serious?

“Yes?”

“Will you do me the great honor of attending the prom with me?”

She laughed out loud and pulled him to standing. “I take it back. You _are_ a fool!”

He brushed the dust from his pants legs and straightened his tie. “That may be. But we’re here. We’re dressed the part. We’ve even got music.” He cocked his head toward the door, where notes of a soulful melody was drifting in.

 “I just don’t want to lose this second chance.” He stepped closer and extended his hand toward hers. “So what do you say? Can I at least have this dance?”

His eyes were earnest under the twinkling lights. How could she ever turn him down? “Sure.”

An excited grin lit up his face. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She nodded and took his hand, stepping closer. She wasn’t sure where to put her hands – should one go up here? Or around his waist? But as he guided her in, the pieces fell into place. One strong arm wrapped around her waist while the other held her hand tight to his chest. It felt so natural to lay her head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear, as they danced. She felt at home in his arms.

The notes soon faded, and they could hear the DJ thanking the students for attending. Katniss looked up to find him gazing down at her. Why had she never noticed the freckles on his nose? Where did he get that scar next to his eye? Were his eyelashes actually touching the lenses of his glasses?

“Well,” Peeta started, his voice husky. “I guess the prom’s over.” His tongue darted out quickly, drawing her eyes to his mouth.

“I guess so.” Neither of them made a move to separate.

His head came down ever so slowly toward her. She caught his eyes and stayed trained on them all the way down. They stayed wide open as he placed the gentlest of kisses on her lips. His hesitance told her he was holding back. He didn’t want to push her.

She didn’t need pushing – she wanted _more_. She freed her hand from his grasp and brought both up to his cheeks, drawing him back down to her face once again. This time, there was nothing gentle about the motion. They pressed against each other, mouths opening to each other as his tongue danced with the tip of hers. She marveled at the fullness of his lips as she suckled the bottom one intently.

He let out a moan and pulled away slightly, resting his forehead against hers. The insecure side of her briefly wondered if he didn’t like it, but his dress pants barely hid the evidence that he had _liked_ _it_ quite a bit.

“We should probably stop,” he groaned, finally opening his eyes. “I mean, I don’t _want_ to stop, but we’re the chaperones here; we’re supposed to be setting a good example. That kiss was starting to leave ‘PG-13’ territory.”

Katniss laughed and pressed one last small kiss to his lips before stepping back to smooth her dress where he had bunched the fabric. “You’re right. Plus Prim and her friends are probably leaving soon. I should find her and say goodbye.”

Peeta ruffled a hand through his hair. “Goodbye? Isn’t she going home with you?” He held out an arm to lead her back to the main room. She latched on, squeezing his firm bicep playfully.

“No, a group of them are going to the beach for a bonfire. Her first night without a curfew. She won’t be home until morning.” She shook her head ruefully. “I didn’t want to say yes, but ‘all the other girls are going!’ I guess you have to let them grow up sometime, but I don’t have to like it.”

He stopped walking and turned to face her with a wide smile on his face. “I have a crazy idea.”

“Oh, really?” she countered, placing her hands on her hips. “What?”

“Why don’t we join them?”

“No,” she laughed. “We can’t do that, Peeta. Prim would never forgive me -”

“Hear me out,” he interrupted. “It’s a big beach. We won’t sit with them; we’ll set up far enough away that they have privacy, but close enough that we can intervene if anything gets out of hand. We’ll be like chaperones, but only if they need us.” He stepped closer and put his hands on her waist. “Besides, we can make our own fire.”

Something about those eager eyes told her she’d have a hard time ever saying no to him. She reached up to tug at the curls at the back of his neck. “Well, I suppose if this was our second chance at the prom, we need a second chance at prom night, too.”

“Now that is an excellent idea, Ms. Everdeen. We need to recreate that night exactly as it should have been.” He removed his hands from her waist and clapped them together, causing her to scowl. “Now, first things first: where are we getting the ice cream?”

**Author's Note:**

> The song lyrics are from “In the Forest” by Van Morrison.


End file.
